We Need to Talk About Kevin- a review

10 Comments

Posted on December 4, 2013

We Need to Talk About Kevin

by Lionel Shriver

published by Counterpoint

2003

Summary

Eva never really wanted to be a mother – and certainly not the mother of the unlovable boy who murdered seven of his fellow high school students, a cafeteria worker, and a much-adored teacher who tried to befriend him, all two days before his sixteenth birthday. Now, two years later, it is time for her to come to terms with marriage, career, family, parenthood, and Kevin’s horrific rampage in a series of startlingly direct correspondences with her estranged husband, Franklin. Uneasy with the sacrifices and social demotion of motherhood from the start, Eva fears that her alarming dislike for her own son may be responsible for driving him so nihilistically off the rails.

My Review

This was one of the books on my Fall TBR list. I had heard many good things about it, and was looking forward to reading it. I must admit, it was one of the more difficult books I have read in quite some time. In the beginning, it was the prose that slowed me down. The author has a very detailed and descriptive style. At times, I had the feeling that it was too verbose. In the middle of the book, I was VERY tempted to stop reading. The characters were very difficult to like or relate to, and the writing was starting to get to me. I kept going though, and was very soon glad I did. The characters round out and the plot moves quickly. As I moved into the last third of the book, I couldn’t put it down.

The story is told in the epistolary form, through letters that Eva Khatchadourian writes to her husband, Franklin Plaskett, who is absent from her life. Eva, we come to know, is the mother of the infamous Kevin who is responsible for the Gladstone High School Massacre. The letter are in two parts- current time in which Eva is the mother shunned by the entire community, facing a civil lawsuit brought by grieving parents, and visiting Kevin in a correctional facility. In the second group of letters, Eva traces her relationship with her husband, and more specifically with Kevin, from conception to that fateful “Thursday”.

Eva is a spirited woman, who runs a successful travel guide for which she travel around the world. She admits to not wanting children, but when Franklin becomes frustrated with her constant leaving, she agrees to try. From almost the very moment they are together after the birth, Kevin and Eva seem to have a serious aversion to each other, which grows slowly. Franklin seems oblivious to any concerns Eva voices about Kevin, and over the years their marriage begins to suffer. As the years go on, we see Kevin become more destructive and watch Eva shrink away from him more and more. The story barrels to an awful climax, yet the ending offers the smallest glimmer of hope for Eva, a woman who lives life everyday with what her son did.

If you have never read this book, I must tell you it is a hard read. Eva, the main character, is a tough woman to like, but easy to understand. Even more difficult is to get to know the title character, Kevin. I swear, there were too many times that my skin literally crawled while reading this book. Here are some of my favorite quotes from this book-

~“…You can only subject people to anguish who have a conscience. You can only punish people who have hopes to frustrate or attachments to sever; who worry what you think of them. You can really only punish people who are already a little bit good.”

~“I thought at the time that I couldn’t be horrified anymore, or wounded. I suppose that’s a common conceit, that you’ve already been so damaged that damage itself, in its totality, makes you safe.”

~“It’s always the mother’s fault, ain’t it?” she said softly, collecting her coat. “That boy turn out bad cause his mama a drunk, or she a junkie. She let him run wild, she don’t teach him right from wrong. She never home when he back from school. Nobody ever say his daddy a drunk, or his daddy not home after school. And nobody ever say they some kids just damned mean. …”

This is a wonderful book- I definitely recommend it.

If you have read this book- what did you think of it? I would love to hear your thoughts!!

rating

4.5 out of 5

Giving Thanks

3 Comments

Posted on November 26, 2013

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke & the Bookish. It’s awesome. Every Tuesday, the lovely ladies over there give us book bloggers wonderful and fun topics to create our lists! Check out what others have posted by going over there! http://brokeandbookish.blogspot.com

This week’s topic is-

Top Ten Things I am Thankful For

I was going to skip this week for a few reasons- getting ready to host dinner on Thursday, a (still) bad back ache, general blogger malaise….

but I figured I would give it a go- so here are some things I am thankful for. I know some seem very expected, but read on.

1. My Husband

I met my husband on a blind date 22 years ago this December. I can honestly say that I love him more today than ever before, through all the highs and lows. I am in awe of this. Don’t get me wrong- it;s not all wine and roses. We are real people and we often screw up and disappoint each other. That’s why it amazes me that we are still in love. Life is hard. Marriage is hard. He is my anchor.

2. My Son

I could list all the great things about him. I could also list all the things about him that drive me crazy. But I am actually thankful that I have a son. I grew up in a family of all girls. My poor Dad was outnumbered and truly perplexed by us. I am glad to be able to see a boy grow into a man. Oh, and that phrase “boys will be boys”? Yup.

3. My Daughter

My daughter was never a pretty little princess. She was the one outside helping dad with car repairs and yard work. She also helped with the holiday baking and decorating. But now that she is a teenager, she is becoming a somewhat “typical” teenage girl. I crack up at the shocked face my husband ofter sports, when his buddy suddenly snaps at him, or rolls her eyes. I am lucky to get to relive the teen years. And thankful that I get to see my husband deal with a teenage girl.

4. My Mom

She inspires me. She worked hard her whole life. She was also lucky enough to marry a man who idolized her, and raise 3 girls with him. Just when they would have started to enjoy their next phase of life when the kids were all gone, she lost him. Yet she has survived.

5. Books

I have always read. I couldn’t imagine not be able to or wanting to read everyday.

6. My comfy reading chair

I love this new reading spot I have. The chair and ottoman are a microfiber, so they are very soft and cushy (not a word). The only problem is that it is a celery color, and bad dog thinks he is allowed to sit there- probably because I let him sit on every other piece of furniture. But I don’t want his brown hair on the light green chir, so I have to leave things on the chair- usually a few books, to the tv remote.

7. Music

I only just realized how much music has become a part of my life. I always have something playing- in the car, right now on the computer as I type this, in the kitchen while I cook.

8. Great authors

I could name so many, but I will give special thanks to one old favorite and a new find- Jane Austen and Stephen King. Have they ever been mentioned together in a sentence before? I love that I am still finding new genres and discovering authors I had never read before.

9. Heating Pads and Tiger Balm

As I said, damn, my back is killing me. And no, I have not gone to the Dr. That would have made sense, Instead I went for a run.

10. Blogging Friends and Wonderful Posts

I am very thankful that I have gotten to know so many wonderful bloggers (you) and have read so many great posts. I love reading the fun memes, and the well written reviews. I get to hear about books, that I might not have seen or picked up. And best of all, i have gotten to know some really GREAT people.

I hope you all have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Bookish (& Not So Bookish) Thoughts

8 Comments

Posted on November 21, 2013

Bookish & Not So Bookish Thought

is a weekly men hosted by Christine over at Bookishly Boisterous, where we post things that are on our minds.

1. I am currently reading The End of The Affair by Graham Greene. I am actually rereading The Hunger Games series to get ready for tomorrow’s premiere, but I did start the other. Very excited about the movie- my daughter and I plan to watch the fist one tonight.

2. It is official. I have inherited the infamous “bad back” that runs in my mother’s Napolitano genes. My uncles, one aunt, and lots of cousins all have the same back issues. The lower left back has been “out” for almost a week. I am sure if I actually went to a doctor, they would tell me it is a slipped disc. I am old.

3. I just finished We Need to Talk About Kevin, and all I can say is WOW. It really was a wonderful kind of awful.

4. Every morning, my son leaves the shower curtain open, and every morning my dog goes in there and licks the soap. Not a big deal, but then he spends an hour or so making weird noises trying to lick the flavor off his tongue. Everyday.

5. I have finally given iTunes radio a try, and I am not too sure I like it yet. Does anyone use it? What are your thoughts?

6. My son is going on a class trip to Philadelphia. They are going to visit Gettysburg and the Eastern State Penitentiary- the oldest jail in the country. Think I can slip the teacher some $ to close one of those cells for a minute or two? Just kidding.

7. I have had three books sitting here, that I finished, waiting for me to write reviews. Why am I so lazy lately?

8. Can I do ALL of my Christmas shopping at Target? I think I can.

9. Thanksgiving is just a week away. We always host my husband’s family, except one year we all went to the Bahamas to celebrate the in-laws anniversary. We ate in a Chinese restaurant on Thanksgiving. Best Thanksgiving ever.

Top Ten Books I Would Recommend to my Daughter

16 Comments

Posted on November 19, 2013

This week’s topic is-

Top Ten Books I Would Recommend to a Certain Person

Since I have a 13 year old daughter, I figured I would pick her.

Now, my kids read. They enjoy it, though not as much as I do. But they will read for pleasure, and I can only hope that their love for it will grow as they age. Or at least when they are not in school, which seems to drain them of the desire to read for pleasure.

There are certain books that I really believe it is important for a young girl to start reading as they get older. So here is a list of the books I would recommend my daughter reads as she grows into a woman- (sniff)

1. Little Women

This was almost a no-brainer for me. What an amazing tale of sister, love, and family. I was very lucky to grow up with two sisters, though I am sad to say my daughter is not.

2. Jane Eyre

The story of a strong girl/woman. I think she would really love this one. Jane is a woman before her time. I love how she stands by her own moral code throughout the book.

3. All books by Jane Austen

I could of course pick my own favorite- Pride & Prejudice- but I think almost any book by Austen is almost mandatory reading for young women( except for Mansfield Park- Franny is easy too wimpy for me)

4. A Little Princess

This is a beautiful story. All girls should read it.

5. To Kill A Mockingbird

This is a tough one. My son had to read it in 8th grade, and I don;t think he was mature enough to really appreciate it. Hopefully my daughter will be when she reads it.

As she gets older-

6. Gone With The Wind

While I do not think Scarlett is a great role model, I really want her to read this. It is one of my favorite books, probably because Scarlett ISN’T a perfect southern lady.

7. The Handmaid’s Tale

Hopefully she will read this in her 20’s. Before that- it can be a bit too scary- or unimportant to the ever invincible teen.

8. The Help

I loved this story. We actually sat down and watched this movie as a family- the kids both loved it, though i think the boy especially liked the part about Minnie’s chocolate pie a little too much. Boys are gross.

9. The Book Thief

I might have her read this soon- she would be ready.

10. The Year of Magical Thinking

Now, I know this seems like a strange choice, and I actually debated whether I should include it. I would like to imagine my child will not have to go through the pain of losing someone she loves, but I think that is a little unrealistic. Still I hope she will be much older when she picks up this memoir that takes a stark look into the grieving process. When I read it, I felt almost a strange relief, that I wasn’t the only person who had that debilitating experience of waking up day after day and having to remember all over again that I lost one of the most important people in my life. Seeing the same thing in print was like a salve, even years later.

Doctor Sleep- a review

9 Comments

Posted on November 18, 2013

Doctor Sleep

by Stephen King

published by Scribner

2013

Summary

Stephen King returns to the characters and territory of one of his most popular novels ever, The Shining, in this instantly riveting novel about the now middle-aged Dan Torrance (the boy protagonist of The Shining) and the very special twelve-year-old girl he must save from a tribe of murderous paranormals.

On highways across America, a tribe of people called The True Knot travel in search of sustenance. They look harmless—mostly old, lots of polyester, and married to their RVs. But as Dan Torrance knows, and spunky twelve-year-old Abra Stone learns, The True Knot are quasi-immortal, living off the “steam” that children with the “shining” produce when they are slowly tortured to death.

Haunted by the inhabitants of the Overlook Hotel where he spent one horrific childhood year, Dan has been drifting for decades, desperate to shed his father’s legacy of despair, alcoholism, and violence. Finally, he settles in a New Hampshire town, an AA community that sustains him, and a job at a nursing home where his remnant “shining” power provides the crucial final comfort to the dying. Aided by a prescient cat, he becomes “Doctor Sleep.”

Then Dan meets the evanescent Abra Stone, and it is her spectacular gift, the brightest shining ever seen, that reignites Dan’s own demons and summons him to a battle for Abra’s soul and survival. This is an epic war between good and evil, a gory, glorious story that will thrill the millions of devoted readers of The Shining and satisfy anyone new to the territory of this icon in the King canon. (from Goodreads)

My Review

As you know Doctor Sleep is King’s long awaited sequel to The Shining. I was lucky enough to have read this book immediately after reading The Shining, so the story of Danny Torrance was fresh in my mind. While The Shining scared me quite a bit, I am happy to say I was never as frightened while reading Doctor Sleep. Other than that small difference, I enjoyed the sequel just as much as I did the first. Doctor Sleep brings us back to Danny Torrance-now Dan- as a middle aged man who has struggled his entire life. Just when he thinks he has hit rock bottom, literally and figuratively, he decides to make a change. He stops drinking and drifting and settles down in a small New England town. He works as a hospice care giver and has finally found some peace. Then he meets a young girl, Abra Stone, who has the shining as well. Together, they fight an evil that has set its sights on Abra.

This book was wonderful. I love that King lets us know what happened to Dan. It was wonderful to see him struggle through his problem and come out on the other side. I loved the secondary characters and I thought the True Knot, the ancient beings that survive by killing youngsters with the shining, was a very bizarre twist. I especially loved the character of Rose the Hat. When the story finally returns to the Overlook, King pulled all the loose ends together very nicely. If you haven’t read The Shining in a very long time, it might help to do a quick reread, but I would definitely recommend Doctor Sleep. Now I have to get myself some more King!!

Some great quotes from Doctor Sleep-

~“There came a time when you realized that moving on was pointless. That you took yourself with you wherever you went.”

~“Death was no less a miracle than birth.”

~“There’s nothing to be scared of.”
Instead of taking Charlie’s pulse – there was really no point – he took one of the old man’s hands in his. He saw Charlie’s wife pulling down a shade in the bedroom, wearing nothing but the slip of Belgian lace he’d bought her for their first anniversary; saw how the ponytail swung over one shoulder when she turned to look at him, her face lit in a smile that was all yes. He saw a Farmall tractor with a striped umbrella raised over the seat. He smelled bacon and heard Frank Sinatra singing ‘Come Fly with Me’ from a cracked Motorola radio sitting on a worktable littered with tools. He saw a hubcap full of rain reflecting a red barn. He tasted blueberries and gutted a deer and fished in some distant lake whose surface was dappled by steady autumn rain. He was sixty, dancing with his wife in the American Legion hall. He was thirty, splitting wood. He was five, wearing shorts and pulling a red wagon. Then the pictures blurred together, the way cards do when they’re shuffled in the hands of an expert, and the wind was blowing big snow down from the mountains, and in here was the silence and Azzie’s solemn watching eyes.”
― Stephen King, Doctor Sleep

my rating

4.5 out of 5

Doctor Sleep by Stephen King (mynovelopinion.wordpress.com)
Stephen King: Why I Wrote Shining Sequel (newser.com)
Review: Doctor Sleep (cheapthrillsbookblog.wordpress.com)

Bookish (& Not So Bookish) Thoughts

13 Comments

Posted on November 14, 2013

Bookish & Not So Bookish Thought

is a weekly men hosted by Christine over at Bookishly Boisterous, where we post things that are on our minds.

1. I can’t read – or do anything for that matter – if it is quiet. I have music playing almost all the time, except later at night if someone puts on the TV. I usually have on some sort of singer-songwriter station, or my old stand by of DMB. Nothing too loud or annoying. I am actually loving a little playlist of DMB, James Taylor, Springsteen, and Mumford & Sons.

Dot To Dot Fesival Various venues, Bristol 23 May 2009 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

2. My husband is away- just for one night, but I still can’t sleep well without him here. So now I am tired, have a headache, and he is in FLA. Not fair.

3. I read this great post over at Parajunkee about a perceived slow down in the blogging community. The comments were really interesting. What do you think? I definitely have seen less reviews/more promotional posts out there.

4. It has been a busy week for me. We finally painted the dining room- a great color called “wine glass”- and it is all ready for company. So is it terrible that I love the way it looks so much that I don’t want anyone to go in there? Ever. I yell at the dogs when they go in there.

5. We are settling into the cold weather here- had snow the other day, and I even ran yesterday when the wind chill was 15 degrees. I think I was way more proud of myself for that than I should have been. Shorter Days + colder weather = more hot tea. I think I rather this equation- long days + warm weather = sangria. I love to curl up with a good book and a cup of tea, but I really love the bask in the sun, read a book, and sip a fruity cocktail.

6. I have an addictive personality. I finally gave in and read a King novel (The Shining)- loved it so much that I read the sequel (Doctor Sleep)- then was about to grab another King book. I made myself read something else- and of course I was totally disappointed. Thankfully, the book I just stared is pretty good- and fast reading. Do you get really into one author and just plow through their work?

7. On a similar topic- I hate it when I see a book that I think looks really good, only to find out it’s like the 5th in a series. I have picked up lots of books like this at the library, and of course they never have the first books in the series. I have an awful feeling that I am missing out on some great books.

8. I have two dogs- a chocolate and a yellow labrador. If you know the breed, you know they always want to eat. Always. A vet once told me that a lab would never voluntary stop eating- they are the breed most likely to eat until their stomach bursts. I can attest to this. My yellow eats everything- rocks included, but not fruit or veggies. The chocolate will eat everything- EVERYTHING- except for celery. They eat in the morning and again in the evening. I aim for 5 pm, but Jack (the chocolate) has begun begging incessantly until I feed him. His begging is starting earlier and earlier every day. He is bad. I am a bad owner.

9. I just got a notice from the library that 2 books that I requested have come in!! I put holds on We Need to Talk About Kevin and The End of The Affair– light reading? Anyway, I think I should feel more guilty than I do about not reading the ARCs I have lined up. Shouldn’t I?

Wow- I actually made it to 9!

Top Ten Covers I Would Change

20 Comments

Posted on November 12, 2013

This week’s topic is-

Top Ten Covers I would Redesign

This was a challenge for me. I really don’t pay THAT much attention to covers that I don’t like. I have been known to pick up a book because I DO like the cover, but I usually don’t mind a bad one. I did however find a few that I didn’t care for. Here they are-

1. She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb

I just think this is weird. Why is half of her face floating above the water? A bit too “Dahli” for me.

2. Carrie by Stephen King

It might be in German-but WTF??

3. Summerland by Elin Hilderbrand

I know- looks like a cool cover- fun, beachy, friends. Totally fine until you know that the story is about a terrible car accidents that rips the lives of four teenagers apart. Not exactly what the cover conveys?

4. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

All I see is the Lion- wearing glasses? Why is he wearing glasses??

5. Bridget Jones’ Diary by Helen Fielding

It’s just weird.

6. The Same Cover-Different Books

Why use the same idea for different books? They’re not sequels, so why?

7. Movie Version Covers

I do not want to picture these people. I want to come up with my own picture in my head- exception to this rule was Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn. And Orlando Bloom as Legolas.

What covers do you wish you could change?

The Shining- (or how I scared myself to death)

24 Comments

Posted on November 8, 2013

The Shining

by Stephen King

published by

Anchor Books

1977

Summary

Danny was only five years old but in the words of old Mr Halloran he was a ‘shiner’, aglow with psychic voltage. When his father became caretaker of the Overlook Hotel his visions grew frighteningly out of control.

As winter closed in and blizzards cut them off, the hotel seemed to develop a life of its own. It was meant to be empty, but who was the lady in Room 217, and who were the masked guests going up and down in the elevator? And why did the hedges shaped like animals seem so alive?

Somewhere, somehow there was an evil force in the hotel – and that too had begun to shine.. (from Goodreads)

My Review

I have previously admitted on this blog that I am the World’s Biggest Wimp! I am. This began when I was about 6-7 years old. My two older (read evil) sisters and lots of cousins had gone to see The Amityville Horror. When they came home, we had a big sleepover in the living room, where my sister -the middle, and more evil of the two- proceeded to describe the entire movie to my young self. From that point on, I have tried to watch horror movies, but wind up scaring myself so badly that I can’t sleep. This has continued on into adulthood, and is the reason I don’t read horror novels, and have never read Stephen King.

I have seen movies based on his books, which I honestly found creepy, but not terrifying. I watched Carrie, Cujo (I actually felt bad for the dog), and Christine- meh. I LOVED LOVED LOVED Misery, Stand by Me, and The Shawshank Redemption. So I was familiar with his work-sort of. And I will admit-I saw The Shining numerous times, always a little creeped out, but very amused with Jack Nicholson’s acting.

190px-The_shining_heres_johnny

So, after turning the corner in age, I decided to try new things, and reading a King novel was one of them. I was going to read The Stand, since it was highly recommended to me, but when I saw the size of it, I got real nervous and put it back. I figured I would start with The Shining, since I knew the story and might not get that scared. WRONG.

I admit it did help a bit, but I was pretty scared. As I have said, I wouldn’t read it when I was home alone- or late at night. All of the sudden, I kept all the lights on, and made my chocolate lab lay in the bathroom while I showered. Because I was scared.

But what an amazing book!

I would have put it down (wimp) if the writing wasn’t so wonderful, and the story so compelling.

And I thought I knew the story from the film. No, no, no I did not. There was so much more background and foreshadowing. And the end!! I looked at my husband, very pleased with myself and said “It ends differently than the movie.” When he asked how, I told him to read it (he has voluntarily read maybe 3 books in the 20+ years I have known him).

So, I am not going to sum up the book- most people have either read it, saw the movie, or think they know what it is about. All I can say is it is if you haven’t read it, it is so much better than you think it is. Go out and get it and read it! But not alone. Or in the dark. If I can do it, you certainly can.

So, what King book should I read next???

Bookish ( & Not So Bookish) Thoughts

20 Comments

Posted on November 7, 2013

Bookish & Not So Bookish Thought is a weekly men hosted by Christine over at Bookishly Boisterous, where we post things that are on our minds.

1. After having “house guests” who stayed for almost 2 1/2 years, we finally have the spare bedroom empty. Almost immediately, I had hubby move a nice big desk and my computer-which had been jammed into the living room- into the empty room, and take a big cozy chair and ottoman from the basement and put it into the living room. Now I have an AMAZINGLY wonderful reading spot, and an awesome office. More importunely, there is no guest room.

2. I just read an article on Book Riot about DNF’ing. I have been realizing that ever since I started reviewing books on this blog- especially since I have been getting books from all over the place- this has become an issue for me. And one I ma not proud of. I used to pick my books very carefully, and I usually didn’t stop reading any of them. It really bothers me when I read a review of a book I DNFed, and the reviewer really liked it. I have an awful feeling that I just didn’t stick with it long enough. On the other hand, there are SO many books out there-why stick with one that isn’t working for you?

3. My son got hit first term grades. He got a B- in Mandarin 3. I gave him a talking to, the whole time thinking- damn, I bet that s#@t is hard!! Sometimes not saying what you are really thinking is hard. Take for example this evening. My lovely 13 yr old doesn’t have school tomorrow, so her and her friends are making plans to hang out at one of their homes. At night. Doesn’t she realize that means I can’t have wine until she gets home??? Can’t she drive yet????

4. I finished The Shining (WOO HOO) and I loved it so much that when I saw Doctor Sleep in the no reserve shelf at the library the next day I grabbed it. I am 3/4 of the way done and I am loving it- but I have to admit I am not as scared as I was with the first! I think I need to take a break from King for a book or two though- I wont walk into a room with out the dog with me. And as you can see, he’s not much of a guard dog. (should have named him Doctor Sleep) Any suggestions though for my next King?

5. I want to start my holiday shopping soon- honestly I just wish I was done with it already. Another little fun fact they dont tell you before you walk down the aisle- you will now have to shop for at least twice as many people. And he will not help- even when he says he will. Do I hear a bah, humbug?

6. I have never taken part in World Book Night, and I was considering doing it this year. There are some good looking books- The Weird Sisters (great book), Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, Where’d You Go, Bernadette?– and some great YA- Code Name Verity, The Bridge to Terebithia, and The Perks of Being a WallflowerThe Perks of Being a Wallflower. Some of them are in large print, and I know of lots of women whose eyes are starting to go. But the YA’s make me slightly uneasy- hanging around at some sports practices, trying to give things away to pre-teens. People in my town would probably call the cops on me.

7. It is a very warm and rainy day here. Perfect to curl up in my new reading spot and relax all day. On the other hand, I haven’t cleaned the house in over a week- a house with 2 labradors and 2 teens-gross. Clean it is.

8. I looked at the 10 day forecast for NJ- we will actually have snow next week. What the f*#k is wrong with the weather lately??? Did I mention it is 65 degrees today?

9. I might have to get my own Kindle after all(shudder). I had been borrowing my daughter’s, but when Allegiant came out, she made a big stink about how I had “taken hers over with ALL my books”. (did I get the tone across?) So, I said of course it is yours, I have plenty of books to read- I downloaded Allegiant and off she went. A WEEK AGO. What takes that long?? Read the damn book already. Now she is making noise about “giving” her kindle to me-and getting a better one for Christmas. My goodness.